it's such a privilege to have a skilled professional interpret your visions but everyone is in such a hurry to keep the expensive consultation and redraw time as short as possible that not enough attention can be spent on finding out why a particular feature is better (this is where HOUZZERS amateur contribution can suggest ideas to narrow down preferrences)...On making an appointment with a prospective client you could ask them to complete a "report" (based on a simple template and Q&A) including a basic site plan, some of the facts needed for DA and BASIX (eg window styles, wall, roof and floor materials, preferred heating, info about lifestyle and family activities and future plans etc etc as well as ideas books/photos of preferred styles and materials etc collecting this info would help the client have a better understanding of some of the detail needed and to save the Architects' time for discussing the implications of some choices

.....in other words, how do us niche professionals specialising in custom design tap into a market where design has been commoditised, standardised, categorised and volumised....??

from a customers point of view the biggest challenges are cost and being at the mercy of the crowd of people who actually do the work (and the bank that's usually in charge of the money) .. we need to be convinced that the designers' suggestions are realistic and we can trust that their ideas can be converted to reality without any horrible surprises...i'm a great believer in the value of design being the foundation of everything else but sadly on the numerous occasions we've employed an architect and/or professional designer we've been very disappointed with major problems between the beautiful plans and builders having to employ last minute expensive alterations to make the design "work" so we've learned to first make some rough home made plans, then consult Council to confirm what's legal (then revise plans) then talk to the builders to find out what's possible (revise plans and do a prelim BASIX and list of specs) then engage the building designer to make up first draft and discuss their ideas (check back with council, obtain builders quotes and check the bank) review plans, make up a list of agreed specs and finally employ designer to make final plans.. Designers need to make sure that they encourage every happy customer to promote their services so that the process is less mysterious and the result more reliable

As I've stated time and time again in other posts, everything invariably comes down to money..........yes oklouise the process involves various parties (client, council, bank, builder etc) however IMO the designer is the executive expert in creatively negotiating and resolving the solution most effectively as they (should) have the knowledge and or connections/ across the many relevant areas in order to balance the needs of the project within the contextual conditions and nominated (financial) limitations........the issue I think is that when professionals fail to identify and manage the critical elements and priorities when proposing a solution, disappointment (of course) occurs and unfortunately the reputation of (the design service) "not being worth it" substantiated - I completely understand/see that following some (unfortunate) experiences you've become experienced/knowledgeable yourself in being able to achieve what you're seeking with your own skill, and that's great......but others (with less capacity/experience in that regard) can become caught/influenced going down the wrong path misinformed or limited to obtain the best solution for their particular needs because they don't understand what front end investment in the design process can achieve, and that is appropriate alignment of people's goals within budget - but for this to be successful services have to be performed in a particular (efficient) format and the designer needs to be able to (quickly) apply/project super accurate costings to specific proposals and that takes specific experience and skill..................this is right here is one of the significant challenges of our particular professional, as from where we stand, we can seriously help people, but people have to have the money, trust in, and commitment to the design process, which is not black and white, nor scientific, and be challenging on various levels.......you hit the nail with the comment "trust that their ideas can be converted to reality without any horrible surprises"........it seems to me, from experience, that the money conversation is often strategically avoided early in the professional relationship because the pro's are scared they'll possibly lose the job, when in fact it should be tackled head on assertively and realistically.........it's pretty simple, clear communication and honesty - more of that would go a fair way in avoiding the issues plaguing this game ;)

some professionals can't waste time preparing a quote that won't be accepted.. understandable because they also need to earn a living but the more that potential clients know what to expect the less scary the process becomes ..but concentrating on a fixed price per sq m ignores opportunities for much better value for money... quality "designed for site" homes are so much better value and custom designing to a fixed budget must be a great challenge but, the more that clients understand the potential for a better end result the better off for everyone...maybe some information sessions with handouts for groups of potential clients could be worthwhile